There are many instances when an object or load must be securely attached to another object and then, at a preselected time, be able to be quickly and reliably released. One area of particular concern involves the quick release of a parachute. For example, in the air drop of equipment from aircraft, it is necessary to provide means for securing a parachute to a load or cargo for the extraction of cargo from the aircraft and for safely lowering the cargo to the ground. This function is usually performed by a large extraction parachute system or by an extraction parachute and a recovery parachute.
Generally, an extraction parachute or parachute system is utilized to withdraw the cargo from an aircraft. The drag force created by the inflation of the extraction parachute deployed behind the aircraft is utilized to extract the cargo and a recovery parachute is utilized to lower the load from the aircraft to the earth's surface. In the alternative, the extraction parachute alone can be utilized to both extract the load from the aircraft as well as lower the load to the earth's surface.
In virtually all circumstances when an extraction parachute is used in conjunction with a recovery parachute, as soon as the extracted cargo is sufficiently clear of the aircraft, to avoid entanglement with the recovery parachute, the extraction parachute must be released from the cargo. As this occurs, the force exerted by the extraction parachute is transferred to the recovery parachute which assists in the "gentle" lowering of the cargo to the ground. The recovery parachute reduces the rate of fall of the cargo to the point where energy absorbing materials placed under and around the cargo will adequately protect it from damage caused by impact with the ground.
Serious problems can occur when the above mentioned procedures malfunction and (1) the load or cargo is not extracted from the aircraft even though the extraction parachute has been deployed properly, (2) the load or cargo fails to exit the aircraft, or (3) the extraction parachute does not properly deploy or inflate. In any of the above situations, the load master or individual in charge of overseeing the cargo drop must attempt to release the extraction parachute from the aircraft.
Present devices utilized for securing and releasing an extraction parachute (or other such load) have many problems associated therewith. For example, the most common way in which such parachutes are released from an aircraft, either because the parachute has deployed but the cargo has not released or because the parachute has failed to deploy, is a manual cutting of the lines by the load master upon observation of this occurrence. This type of operation endangers the load master who is positioned between the extraction parachute and the payload or cargo when the cutting operation needs to be performed.
Furthermore, present release mechanisms which are utilized to assist in ground impact after the cargo has been deployed are generally large metallic mechanisms which are expensive to manufacture and, in many instances, unreliable in operation. These releases are extremely heavy and cumbersome and in most circumstances different then the releases utilized for releasing a parachute from the aircraft. The heavy weight of the metallic release mechanism may also damage the payload by falling on it after the recovery parachute has been released.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a light weight, high strength and economically manufactured secure and release system for use with a wide variety and types of loads.
It is another object of this invention to provide a secure and release system for the extraction of parachutes which is manufactured of synthetic webbing and braided cord material.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a secure and release system which can function as an emergency extraction parachute release mechanism and/or a ground impact parachute release mechanism.
It is even a further object of this invention to provide a secure and release system which is constructed without metal parts.
An even further object of this invention is to provide a secure and release system which is extremely inexpensive to manufacture.